The Singham BloodlinesEpilogue

by MV Kasi

  The kids’ faces lit up at the thought of gifts. They hurried through the lunch with minimal fuss.

  ***

  After lunch, they gathered in the Singham family room.

  The exchange of gifts was chaotic as well with a lot of happiness and laughter.

  “Thank you, Narmada, for your special gift. I really appreciate it.” Abhay was holding a leather-bound book that was written by Narmada. The book held the Singham family history along with what had transpired in their parents’ generation and during the temple massacre.

  “Yes. I loved the book you had written about grandmother. I’m pretty sure I will cherish this one as well,” said Dev.

  “You are welcome. Anika and Sabitha helped me a lot during the research phase. Without their support, I couldn’t have written it all by myself.”

  Anika and Sabitha smiled at her.

  The kids loved their gifts so much that they began to play with the toys right then. The adults joined them.

  In the room, and on the walls, the portraits of various generations of Singhams watched in satisfaction as the current generation endured hardships, fought for revenge, dissolved the hatred and performed their duties as the Singhams.

  The End.

  Sample Chapters of BOUND BY REVENGE

  DESCRIPTION

  A captivating and thrilling romance set in a land of no rules and law...

  Anika Patel led a perfect life. She had a loving family, a bright career, and a man who was her best friend with a possibility of turning into something more.

  But one phone call and an impulsive decision changed it all...

  She headed for a two week vacation to a place in India to meet with her late father's relatives. When she got there, what transpired was right out of her nightmares.

  Stuck in a land of no rules or law, where family honor meant everything, she was to be bound by revenge to a man who threatened to steal her soul and also her heart...

  WARNING: This is a fictional romance story that transports you to a different world that has no restraints or boundaries. Please proceed with caution as the book contains violence and sexual content that is recommended for mature reading audiences.

  CHAPTER 1

  “Turn around and look at me.” The order was thrown in a chillingly calm tone.

  Trembling and worried about the consequences, Anika slowly turned, and raised her eyes towards the man in front of her. Her vision was still blurry from her tears. She wiped them away and was met with the sight of the broad back of a tall man. He was turned away from her as he closed the door shut. Stepping back, she wrapped her arms around her protectively. She kept her wary eyes trained on his back, waiting for what, she didn’t know.

  As soon as he turned, she felt like the air around them was sucked away, making her gasp out loud. The man looked larger than life, and more importantly, he looked like he could easily kill her with a single blow.

  Under the large skylight, the man didn’t look like a monster at first glance—far from it. He was elegantly dressed and also good-looking with perfectly chiseled features. He also appeared to be close to her age.

  His eyes scanned the mess she had made in the room, before he turned to look at her face dispassionately. She expected to see anger, but there was none.

  He didn’t say anything for a long moment, just kept his eyes firmly locked on her face.

  After an indeterminate amount of time, he broke the deafening silence. “So. You are my bride-to-be,” he stated rather than ask in a deep voice.

  The word ‘bride’ broke through her trance and made adrenaline course through her body.

  God, this is so messed up. Why am I cowering in fear?

  She knew she cannot and should not give up her fight because of brute force. She was a problem solver, a logical thinker who had succeeded most of her life convincing people to think from her perspective. She should be able to use reasoning to invoke some compassion from the man whom she was supposed to marry.

  “I don’t want this,” she whispered, unable to work up a louder voice. She kept her eyes on his face, pleading. “Please stop this marriage.”

  He didn’t respond, and neither did he react.

  “I don’t want this wedding,” she repeated. “We can think of another solution. We should be able to come up with a reasonable…” her voice trailed off when she saw him compressing his lips into a thin, hard line as he began to walk towards her.

  Her pulse sped up beating wildly against her throat. Her heart began to pound hard in her chest until it ached. She wanted to scream and run away in fear, but she held her ground and kept her eyes on him.

  Through trembling lips, she spoke again. “I’m not from your world. I don’t belong here. Let me go back to my family,” she reasoned.

  As she spoke, she was close to being thrown back into a state of shock, reminding her once again that she was living a nightmare. She stood on a land of no rules, humanity, or compassion.

  The man stopped in front of her until he was too close for comfort. She had to raise her eyes to look at him. As soon as she met his gaze, she flinched at the look he was directing towards her.

  His eyes were riveted on her face as his mouth stretched into a sneer full of hate. “We are getting married because your precious family has begged me to do so. So, if you or your fucking family try to pull any stunt during our wedding today, and try to back out, I’m not going to spare anyone.” He spat out the words ‘your family’ like they were a curse.

  Slowly and deliberately his eyes swept over her body clothed in traditional bridal attire. “Nothing and no one—including you—can stop this from happening. You will become my wife by tonight,” he vowed.

  Listening to those words, her legs gave out from under her, and she collapsed on her knees, unable to swallow the defeat.

  How could she let herself be trapped in this hellhole? Because of her one impulsive decision, she was going to lose everything.

  CHAPTER 2

  THREE DAYS AGO

  “Let’s go, Ann, I’m starving.”

  A man’s voice sliced through Anika’s concentration.

  “Is it lunch time already?” she asked, her voice husky for not having spoken for the past few hours. She had spent the entire morning updating her patient files, so another doctor on her team could continue when she was away on her vacation.

  Nathan grinned next to her as she groaned and wiggled her stiff fingers. “Yup. It’s close to two. They are going to close the cafeteria soon,” he said as he moved behind her chair. The chair was supposed to be ergonomic, but it didn't help much, because her back felt stiff as hell.

  She sighed as Nathan massaged her shoulders. “You know you could have avoided all this typing, Dr. Patel. Maybe you should rethink this impromptu vacation or at least postpone it.”

  She groaned as he loosened some of the tensed muscles. “Nice try, Dr. Smith. Stop sounding like my mom.”

  “You know Dr. Patel is right. She’s not thrilled you are going to meet your so called family who didn’t bother to get in touch with her after your dad passed away in an accident.”

  “Nathan, please. I’ve been through this already with Mom. I have made up my mind to go.”

  “Well, then at least change your mind about letting me tag along with you.”

  “You know I can’t let you go with me, Nathan,” she said gently.

  He sighed. “I know.”

  There was an awkward silence between them. She knew Nathan was thinking about his proposal, and more importantly how she had turned him down.

  Nathan was her best friend. They grew up together in the same neighborhood, attending the same schools, and also the same colleges. They even worked for the same hospital.

  Apart from Nathan, she only had few other friends during college with whom she eventually grew apart when they began to work in a stressful career as a doctor.

  It wasn’t like she hated having friends or anything. She just wasn’t used to making friends ea
sily.

  Until she had turned twelve, she had a stuttering problem. Most of the kids in her school and neighborhood either made fun of her speech problem or pitied her because of it. Even when she ultimately overcame her disability, the feeling of being shunned by her peers remained. Nathan was the only person who had treated her normally and as a friend.

  Nathan was a serial dater who always had a line of women who came and went from his life. She had met and socialized with a few of his girlfriends, but none of them seemed to catch Nathan’s attention for long. It came as a total surprise when Nathan had proposed to her one evening, after having invited her for an elaborate dinner he had planned at a rooftop restaurant.

  “I love you, Dr. Anika Patel. Will you marry me?”

  She was stunned as they had not been on a date before that night. “Nathan… I-I… can’t. I can’t marry you.”

  His face fell.

  “I love you, Nathan. But…not like that.”

  He nodded and forced out a smile. “I know. I just thought it would be funny to see how you'd react.”

  They had both known it wasn’t a joke. They tried getting back to their casual friendship, but that night stayed in their minds. Since then, she made it a point not to encourage Nathan in anyway, because she didn’t want to disappoint him again.

  “Dammit! Let’s go! They are going to close the café soon.” Nathan looked at his watch hurrying out.

  She grabbed her bag and followed him.

  “So what do you feel like eating today?” he asked as they approached the large cafeteria that was mostly empty as it was almost closing time.

  “The sushi counter is open. Let’s grab that.”

  They paid for their food and sat down next to a large picture window overlooking the Bay Bridge.

  “Oh great,” Nathan grumbled, as they began to eat.

  “What?”

  “It’s that creepy guy. And he’s at it again, staring at you.”

  “Huh?” Anika twisted her body slightly and looked at the large guy behind one of the cafeteria counters. Turning back, she shook her head in amusement.

  “It’s not funny, Ann. The guy keeps turning up at most places we go. You should let me deal with him.”

  “You are overthinking this, Nathan. He’s just some random dude who’s working here, and also pulling in shifts at the coffee house and other places around here. We just happened to go to those places, too. It's called a coincidence.”

  Nathan grumbled. “Maybe, but him staring at you so much is not a coincidence.”

  “Are you saying that a guy staring at me is odd?” she asked in a mock outraged tone.

  Nathan grinned. “No. A guy staring at you, and not doing anything about it—is odd. Guys keep hitting on you all the time.”

  Yeah, until they get to know me, and then they run the other way.

  “Maybe he’s just shy,” she mumbled as she put a piece of sushi in her mouth.

  “Shy? With those strange tattoos and piercings all over his body? Unlikely.”

  “Hey. Don’t judge,” she said. “Anyway, let’s forget about him. Are you sure you want to take me to the airport? It’s an early morning flight, and I’d rather take a cab.”

  “I’m taking you to the airport. No more discussion.”

  She grinned looking at his scowl. “All righty.”

  They spoke about work as they finished their meal, and when she was about to leave, she turned and smiled at the tattooed guy who was still staring at her.

  He didn’t smile back. Instead, he simply continued to stare impassively.

  *****

  It was almost seven by the time Anika got home from work. Dropping her car keys in a bin next to the main door of her apartment, she headed towards her bedroom. Soon, in what felt like barely seconds later, she was face down on her bed, sprawled on her bed sheets with her hospital scrubs on. She was about to reach the light switch when she saw the light indicating phone messages on her landline, blinking continuously.

  Groaning, she got up. Then moving the packed suitcases away from her wardrobe, she grabbed a pair of nightclothes while dialing a number on her cell phone. She sat on her bed, hearing the phone ring.

  “Anika! Where were you? I’ve been trying to reach you all day!”

  “Hi, Mom. I was at the hospital, going on rounds and finishing up a lot of things that I needed to do before I leave tomorrow morning.”

  There was an exasperated sigh. “I know, but seriously, can you not think about this again? Or at least wait until Dad and I get back from our cruise.”

  “It’s okay, Mom. I’ll be back before Myra gets home for the holidays.”

  “Fine,” her mom said grudgingly. “But call me often, or at least send me messages. I can check them when I’m at the ports.”

  “I will, Mom.”

  They spoke for a few more minutes before her stepfather took the phone from her mom.

  “You should take one of those guided tours. They are safe, and you’ll get to see a lot in less time.”

  “Yeah. I have enough vacation accrued, but I can’t, Dad. I need to be back in two months.”

  “All right, kiddo. Have a great journey and do call us if you need anything.”

  “Yup. And you guys enjoy the rest of your vacation. Love you.” Anika ended the call and sighed.

  She still felt bone tired due to the back-to-back shifts she had been pulling during the last two weeks.

  She got up from the bed and headed towards the bathroom. Stepping into her small yet functional shower, she turned the taps on, and sighed as the warm water began to ease her tensed muscles.

  Her mother’s words from last week kept repeating in her head. “Why do you want to go? They never even cared for both of us after your father passed away in an accident.”

  It was the day after she received an unexpected call. “Your grandfather is dying. His last wish is to meet you in person. Please…don’t disappoint him.”

  Her aunt, who was Anika's father’s sister, had called and pleaded with her.

  Normally, she wouldn’t have dropped everything to rush and see her estranged relatives she had never met, but lately, she had been in a rut. She felt a keen restlessness inside her even though everything was going well with her career and life in general.

  Even though her stepfather treated her as one of his own, and she loved her half-sister, Myra, to pieces, she still felt some kind of strange emptiness when it came to having a sense of belonging. That same emptiness even made her think of doing crazy things like maybe agreeing to marry Nathan to start a family of her own, and feel that sense of belonging.

  It was the same void that drove her to make plans to visit her family in India. She felt that meeting her relatives and finding out more about her roots would help her find some peace within, and get on with her life as usual.

  “All right India. Here I come,” she said softly.

  CHAPTER 3

  Anika had spent nearly a day on the plane, without much sleep. Surprisingly, she was not tired. She was rather thrilled and excited to be in India.

  She wanted to know more about the place where her father grew up and also wanted to see the house he spoke about all the time. As a little girl, she had loved to hear her father’s childhood adventures at his ancestral home.

  Gathering the last of her three large suitcases from the baggage claim, she headed towards the exit. She scanned the crowd that stood waiting for the arriving passengers, wondering who was going to meet her. Her aunt had told her that the person receiving her at the airport would recognize her.

  She had no clue who that would be, since she didn’t know anyone in India. She scanned the crowd in a futile effort before pushing her luggage cart to the side.

  Just as she was about to reach for her phone to call her aunt, she caught a movement at the corner of her eye. She turned and saw a woman close to her age, approaching her. The woman was dressed in simple, comfortable-looking cotton trousers. She had long thick beautifully
plaited hair that contrasted with the brisk manly strides she took.

  Anika smiled as she looked into a pair of familiar-looking eyes. It had to be one of her relatives, considering they both had the same light brown eyes.

  “Anika?” The woman’s voice was brisk, definitely not a tone meant for a friend, let alone a long lost relative.

  “Yes,” Anika answered with a smile, determined to make an effort to thaw the cold vibes.

  The woman did not return her smile. “Let’s go.”

  The woman signaled to the two large burly men who stood behind her like bodyguards. One of the men stepped forward and silently took the luggage cart.

  “Oh, that won’t be necessary—” Anika’s words fell on deaf ears as the man carried her heavy bags quite easily. Clutching her travel purse, she followed the woman who was yet to introduce herself.

  She broke into a run to keep up with them as they strode towards the exit. They stopped near an SUV parked right outside the door. It was clearly marked as a no parking zone, but none of the airport security seemed to object. Two more burly men came forward and took the suitcases to another SUV parked behind. The doors of the SUV were held open by the men for Anika and the woman to get in.

  “Thank you—” Before Anika could complete, the burly muscled man on her side, shut the door, and slid into the driver’s seat.

  The woman next to her sat still, without uttering a word while the SUV drove away from the airport

  Unable to bear the eerie silence, Anika cleared her throat. “I’m sorry, I didn’t get a chance to introduce myself properly. I’m Anika Patel. And you are… ?”

  The woman turned towards her with a clenched jaw. Anika was almost sure she wouldn’t get a reply, but the woman surprised her by answering.